1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to vehicle fueling systems. More specifically, the invention relates to a vehicle fueling system where truck drivers can shower, eat, exercise, or sleep while their trucks are fueled, washed, and/or repaired by skilled truck care workers.
2. Description of Prior Art
Modern day trucking is a growing field. Coupled with deregulation and a decrease in shipping costs, the use of trucks in interstate commerce has reached an all time high. Furthermore, more and more people are buying products that are shipped by trucks. Trucking is a competitive business. Customers generally want the fastest and cheapest delivery of their goods. Any reduction in costs or in delivery times can be a significant competitive advantage for a trucking company.
Finding enough drivers to meet this increased demand for shipped merchandise is a serious problem for trucking companies. Turnover among drivers is high. Drivers typically receive relatively high salaries and attractive employment benefits. In some instances signing bonuses are offered. Unfortunately, many drivers find these attractions insufficient to compensate for the low quality of life. Among the problems encountered are very long hours, dirty work, and poor facilities at truck stops.
A frequent result is that after driving for a year or two a driver will leave the trucking business. The trucking company then faces the considerable expense of locating a suitable replacement and training him. These expenses reduce the amount trucking companies can afford to pay their drivers, setting up a vicious circle.
A significant contributor to the long hours worked by truck drivers is time spent refueling. Drivers are not compensated for this time. The refueling process therefore greatly cuts into the amount of money the truck driver can earn. At conventional truck stops, the drivers drive their rigs up to the fuel islands and fuel their trucks themselves. The average time required to fuel a truck is approximately one hour. If a truck stop is busy, it can take up to three hours to fuel the truck. The driver is required to stay with his truck during this entire time.
The typical refueling process results in both reduced income and reduced quality of life for a driver. The time lost in refueling can slow down deliveries. This tends to reduce the income of trucking companies, which affects the income of drivers. Long refueling times are tiring and frustrating for the driver. The driver is being paid nothing for his time and yet is not able to relax or eat. Another problem is that drivers often get dirty in the process of refueling. A driver must then either put up with being dirty or take additional time to get cleaned up. These problems contribute to driver turnover and higher costs for trucking companies.
All truck drivers and trucking companies would appreciate and find tremendous value in a new truck or vehicle fueling system that greatly reduces the amount of time required to refuel a truck and eliminates the need for the driver to stay with his rig.
Truck stops are known which provide underground fuel storage tanks, pumping systems, and fuel islands for refueling trucks. Truck stops also frequently include other facilities of various sorts for use by truck drivers.
Vehicle fueling systems have been described in the patent literature. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,080,077 issued to Sawert et al. on Jan. 14, 1992, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,211,021 issued to Pierson on May 18, 1993 both describe fuel delivery systems but fail to disclose a portable land vehicle refueling system using refueling means similar to those for jets, above-ground fuel storage tanks and the amenities of a quality restaurant or motel.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,325,894 issued to Kooy et al. on Jul. 5, 1994, U.S. Pat. No. 5,315,831 issued to Goode et al. on May 31, 1994, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,107,906 issued to Swenson et al. on Apr. 28, 1992 all describe land vehicle refueling systems but fail to describe a portable land vehicle refueling system wherein the driver leaves his vehicle and enjoys dinner, exercising or sleep while expert or skilled vehicle care providers refuel the vehicle, wash the vehicle, and/or repair the vehicle while providing the driver with a record detailing the amount and cost of fuel delivered.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,305,926 issued to Webb on Apr. 26, 1994, U.S. Pat. No. 4,981,272 issued to Cutore on Jan. 1, 1991, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,305,805 issued to Watkins, Jr. on Apr. 26, 1994 all describe portable vehicle refueling systems and are incorporated by reference. They fail to disclose a vehicle refueling system wherein the driver leaves his vehicle and enjoys dinner, exercising or sleep while expert or skilled vehicle care providers refuel the vehicle, wash the vehicle, and/or repair the vehicle while providing the driver with a record detailing the amount and cost of fuel delivered.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singularly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed. Thus a vehicle fueling system solving the aforementioned problems is desired.